Cabbit Trouble
by Kali1
Summary: DCU's Catwoman comes face to face with Ryo-Ohki. And gosh darnit! She wants to keep her!


__Cabbit Trouble

By Kali

**Author's Forward: **_DCU's Catwoman comes face to face with Ryo-ohki. And gosh darnit! She wants to keep her!_

_With Tenchi premiering on the Cartoon Network tomorrow, I decided to write this crossover story featuring my favorite anime critter. For the record I'm following the OAV series continuity, so there is some spoilers in this story for those who have yet to see the OAV series. As it is, it is the OAV series that is currently airing on the Cartoon Network. Kiyone is Mihoshi's partner from the TV series._

_Italics = thoughts._

"What do you want Penguin?" 

"Oh, my dear! Why so impatient? I thought we worked so well together last time." 

"Pengy, you're trying my patience." Selina warned. Her voice even. 

"I wanted you to see this. She just popped up in my casino yesterday. We found her snacking on our supply of carrot sticks." 

"Oh, my! She's beautiful! What is she?" Selina asked. Staring transfixed at a little fuzzball that seemed to be a cross between a cat and a rabbit. With huge floppy ears, cat-like whiskers, and a cottontail, she was one of the cutest, and strangest, things Selina had ever seen. 

"Don't know. But I'm sure she'll garner me a pretty penny. That's why I asked you here. I thought you might like to make a bid." 

"How_dare_you!! You *will not* put her up for auction. For if you do, I'll be cooking roasted penguin on a spit. Do_you_understand?" Selina threatened, wrapping her whip firmly around Cobblepot's neck. 

"Perfectly, my dear. Now if you would be so kind as to release me?." 

"Heed my warning Penguin, I won't give you another one. C'mon sweetie, I have a place where you'll be safe from egotistical opportunists like him," Selina said as she picked the little cabbit up and stomped back to the ajar window. "Good-bye, Pengy. Can't say that it's been fun." 

*************************************************************************** 

"Here you go precious, Mommy's got some um....... delicious carrots for you," Selina said, as she reentered her living room. 

"Car-wots?" inquired the now semi-human formed cabbit. 

"Oh my!" Stunned, Selina dropped the carrots onto the floor. 

"Car-wots!" Ryo-ohki squealed with delight. She quickly rushed over to the carrots and started wolfing them down. 

"You can talk. You..... you..... what are you?" 

After finishing her carrots, a contented Ryo-ohki waddled over to where Selina was sitting, her mouth still agape, and snuggled next to her. 

"My God, you are the sweetest little thing." 

"Ryo-oh-ki." 

"Is that your name?" 

"Miyaa! Miyaa!" 

"I'll take that as a yes. C'mon sweetie, I'll introduce you to the rest of the 'family'." 

*************************************************************************** 

"She ran away because of me. Because she thinks I don't care about her!" 

"She's just confused, Ryoko," Tenchi said in an attempt to comfort the brooding woman. "You know how easily she can misunderstand things." 

"We've always been together. Since the very beginning. I guess.....I guess I took her for granted." 

"You can say that again!" Ayeka challenged. 

"Ayeka! Come on, can you two please put aside your differences! We need to find Ryo-ohki!" Kiyone exclaimed. Feeling more than just a little flustered at her companions constant bickering. 

"Kiyone's right. We should be focusing on Ryo-ohki right now. We should split up. We can cover more ground that way," Washu suggested. "Ryoko! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" 

"Yes, 'Mom'." 

"That's a good girl, now go find your sister." 

"But she's not...... Oh, never mind. C'mon Tenchi." 

"If Lord Tenchi is going with you, then so am I!" Ayeka proclaimed. 

"Whatever!" 

"We'll contact you guys if we find anything," Tenchi assured the others as he was being dragged away by Ryoko. 

"Okay, Mihoshi, you team up with Kiyone." 

"Washu?!" 

"Well, you two work so well together." 

"Washu......." 

"You're less likely to kill her if she screws up, than I am." 

"Fine. C'mon Mihoshi. Try to stay focused, okay?" 

"Sure. Kiyone, can we stop for a ramen bowl on the way?" 

"Agh!" 

"That leaves you and me, Sasami." 

"Washu?" 

"Don't worry, Sasami, we'll find her. It's only a matter of when, not if." 

"I sure hope you're right." 

"I just don't understand why Ryo-Ohki would hide from me. None of my instruments can track her anymore." 

"You don't think anything's happened to her, do you?" Sasami asked fearfully.. 

"Of course, not! Don't forget, I made her!" Washu responded with a bit of false bravado. Truth was, she was worried that her little space ship could end up in the wrong hands. She was, after all, the closest thing to a mother little Ryo-Ohki had, and mothers are prone to worry. 

************************************************************************* 

"Car-wot?" Ryo-ohki asked Batman. She held up a single carrot to him in offering. But the cloaked figure just stared at her in disbelief. 

"Can you honestly say that you don't think she could end up on a dissecting table somewhere?! Can you? She's just a baby! She'll be defenseless against them." 

"Selina, you can't keep her." 

"If you take her, it'll be over my dead body!' 

Disturbed by their arguing, Ryo-ohki meowed in despair. She dejectedly wandered to the southeast edge of the building, and climbed up onto the ledge. 

"Oh no! Look at what you've done!" 

He quickly pushed her aside and sprinted towards the little cabbit-girl. "Now, now, little one. Come back here. It's okay. Everything will be just fine." But the 'creature' was already far to close to the edge of the ledge. 

"NOOOO!" Selina screamed as the little one seemingly fell off the edge. She started to leap towards her, in a desperate attempt to rescue Ryo-ohki. 

"Selina, don't! It's too late...... it's too late." Batman said attempting to comfort the distraught Catwoman. All the while, he cursed himself for his slow reaction to the situation. 

"Miyaa!" 

"She's....... she's still alive!" Selina cried out, shoving Batman to the side she looked over the edge of the building. Right below she could see an unusually designed air craft hovering in midair. "Ryo-ohki? Is that you?" 

"Miyaa!" 

"Oh my God." 

"That's......... impossible." 

Suddenly, both find themselves transported inside the unusual space craft. 

"Miyaa! Miyaa!!" 

"I think she's trying to tell us something." 

"I agree. However, we'll need a telepath in order to interpret it. Let me see if I can figure out how these controls work." 

With a push of a button a laser cannon erupted and incinerated the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man billboard. 

"Oh, my God," Batman whispered in horror. He had been lucky. Innocents could have been killed by that blast. "Okay, Ryo-ohki, I want you to return us to the roof, and change back to your original form? Okay? Do you understand me?" 

"Miyaa!" Ryo-ohki complied. She changed back into her cabbit form, and started to blissfully lick her paws clean. 

"That's a good girl. Now just stay right there, okay?" 

"Miyaa." 

"Okay, so maybe 'defenseless' was a bad choice of words, but...." Selina said as she inspected the remains of the incinerated billboard. 

"She's an armed weapon, Selina. In the wrong hands she could be lethal." 

"Will you quit talking like that! She's not some cold, metallic, soulless 'weapon'. She's a fuzzy, adorable little baby who can turn into a space ship. Nothing more, nothing less. She's as about as 'evil' as the lion's at the county zoo. I mean look at her! Isn't she just the cutest thing you ever saw? Why, we could even raise her together. She could be our little angel of fluff." 

"Selina, she isn't human. We don't know a thing about her, or where she came from. And we *aren't* a couple." 

"I don't care!" 

"But *she* might. And despite your protests, so do you." 

"..........." 

"You know I'm right." 

"Fine, damn you! Let's go see 'Mr. Gumby' and see what he has to say." 

************************************************************************** 

"Ryo-Ohki? Ryo-Ohki?" Ryoko yelled at the top of her lungs. Teleporting and phasing in and out of several different locations looking for her lost ship and friend. 

Some of the areas she popped up in were a bit awkward to say the least. "Oooops, sorry! Enjoy your bubble bath! Just forget I was ever here!" Ryoko blushed, as she backed away. _Awww... if only that could be me and Tenchi someday._

"Honey?" 

"Yes?" 

"Was I hallucinating, or did that woman have a tail?" 

_Where is she! _Ryoko cursed to herself. _How could I have been so stupid! I knew how easily hurt her feelings are! But, noooo. What did I do? I had to joke about replacing her with a newer model! No wonder she ran away. Ryoko no baka!!_

"You aren't from around here, are you? A man in a black trench coat asked. His cowboy hat shadowed the man's features beyond Ryoko's ability to make out his face. But his voice slithered like a rattlesnake. 

"No, I'm looking for something. Have you seen her?" Ryoko inquired, halfheartedly. She held out the drawing with very little enthusiasm. It seemed like everyone she had asked, didn't know or see anything. 

"It depends." 

"On what?" 

"What's in it for me?" 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah, well maybe you could give me some dough? Or maybe.... you could give me a little bit of sugar?" The man dripped of sleaze. 

"Or maybe I could rip out your entrails, and feed them to you!" Enraged Ryoko grabbed the man by the collar, and flew off to where she had left Tenchi and Ayeka. 

"Maybe you two can help convince this jerk to tell us what we need to know. Because otherwise, I *won't* be responsible for my actions!" Ryoko exclaimed, as she roughly tossed the man to the pavement. 

"Ooooh, I'm so scared! Did you take lessons from the Bat?" 

"The 'Bat'? Who's that?" Tenchi inquired. 

"You're kidding, right? You haven't heard of the 'urban legend'? The Batman?" 

"Like you said dodo head, we're not from around here. So would you please shut your trap and tell us what you know about my ship!?" Ryoko growled. 

"Ship? I thought it was some new sort of species?" 

"It really doesn't matter what she is, little man. We want to know where she is!" Ayeka threatened. 

"Yes, I suggest you tell us right now." Tenchi said, extending his sword to the man's neck. 

"He'll kill me if I tell you." 

"And we'll kill you if you don't." Ryoko stated tightly. Her eyes glowing with frustration. 

"You're bluffing." 

"I don't bluff." With that Ryoko incinerated a Mazda Miata that was parked just 50 feet away. 

"Ryoko, you really shouldn't have done that," Tenchi groaned. He hoped the owners of the car had insurance. It seemed that wherever Ryoko went, property damage was bound to be high. 

"I'm sorry, Tenchi, but he's sorely trying my patience." 

"It's okay, Ryoko. I understand," Tenchi nodded sympathetically. "Now, 'sir' I am requesting that you give us the information we seek, because if you don't, you'll learn why Ryoko was enshrined for 700 years." 

"700 years...... That's impossible! No one lives that long, unless they're......." 

"I was wrongfully, imprisoned," Ryoko sniffled. 

"Not hardly," Ayeka muttered under her breath. 

"Hey! Kagato forced me to do it!" 

"Hmmmph! You sure *looked* like you were enjoying yourself while you were ransacking *my* planet!" 

"You're 'planet'? You're not human are you?" 

"Nope," Ryoko shrugged. 

"Great! Just what we need, some super powered aliens horning in on our turf. Bad enough we gotta deal with the Bat, but this, this is too much!" 

"Sit down, and shut up!" Ayeka yelled with a fervor that stunned both Tenchi and Ryoko. She initiated her powers to shove him against a concrete wall. "We do not care about your silly little problems, you silly little man. We're looking for her! Now tell us what you know! Now! Or else they will be scraping up your remains with a spatula! Do_you_understand?!?" 

"Wow, Ayeka! I'm impressed!" Ryoko commented softly. 

"Don't be," Ayeka retorted. "I just want to find Ryo-Ohki, and I'll do whatever I have to, to do that." 

************************************************************************* 

"What on earth are you two kids doing wandering around Gotham! During the middle of the night!" 

"We're trying to find Ryo-ohki," Sasami said. She shoved a hand-drawn picture in front of Nightwing's face. "Have you seen her?" 

"No, but look kids, it gets dangerous out here at night. Why don't I take you home? It'll be much easier to look for her in the daylight." 

"Technically, we need her to get home," Washu replied. 

"Huh?" 

"It's complicated. But we really do need her to get home," Sasami responded. 

"Now come on kids, if you tell me your names I'll help you look for her." 

"Sasami." 

"Washu." 

"Okay, now maybe you two could tell me where your parents live? They must be worried sick about you." 

"Uh, I don't have any parents. At least, none that I remember," Washu said. Her youthful appearance had proved to be a burden in this case. Perhaps it was time to show her true form? 

"Okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I know a place where you'll be safe. She's a very good friend of mine." 

************************************************************************** 

"Di.... Nightwing! What a surprise! What brings you here?" A stunned Barbara stared at the two children by his side. "And who may you two be?" 

"Their names are Washu," he said pointing to the seemingly young red head, "and Sasami" he added pointing towards the other blue-haired girl. 

"Nice to meet you." 

"Ma'am," Sasami and Washu both bowed in greeting. 

"Nightwing, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" 

"Don't worry we'll stay right here, we promise," Washu sweared placing her hand over her heart. 

When they were out of ear shot, and situated in the kitchen, "Dick, who are they?" 

"Don't know. They were out wandering Crime Alley, of all places, looking for their pet bunny. At least I think it's a bunny. It's hard to tell by the drawing they showed me. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it might be too late. That someone might have decided to cook her for his supper. Hopefully, one of the animal shelters took her in. Can you check on that?" 

"Yes, of course I can. But first I have another question for you. What were you doing back in Gotham in the first place?" 

"Three guesses." 

"Bruce?" 

"Nope." 

"Tim?" 

"Nope, again," Dick gave her a chagrined grin. 

"Me?" 

"Give the lady a kewpie doll!" 

"You're hopeless!" Barbara grinned back at him. 

*************************************************************************** 

"Washu, look!" Sasami exclaimed pointing towards Barbara's computer system. 

"Hmmmm..... it's primitive technology, at best, but it'll do for now. Sasami, if you would please keep them distracted. I think this system can help us find Ryo-ohki." 

"Sure thing!" Sasami happily headed off towards the kitchen, where the two 'adults' were talking. She prayed that wherever Ryo-ohki was, she was warm, fed, and happy. 

"Do you have anything to eat?" 

"Sure, what you want?" Barbara asked. 

"I don't know? What do you have?" 

"Well I make a mean....." Barbara started. 

***************************************************************************** 

"I wasn't aware that Pantha had a daughter." J'onn said, observing the adorable little tyke being held by Catwoman. 

"I doubt very much that she is related to her, J'onn," Batman responded. 

"How do you know that for sure?" 

"Trust us, 'Gumby' we know," Catwoman said tightly. "Now can we get on with this?" 

"Sure. Give her to me." 

Selina eyed J'onn with suspicion. 

"Selina, he won't hurt her." 

"He'd better not!" Gingerly she handed the cabbit-girl to the 'Gumby' look-alike. 

************************************************************************** 

"And you are?" 

"Galaxy Police officer, Kiyone, at your service." 

"'Galaxy'? Where's that at? Pennsylvania?" 

"Um, well, no. But that's not important. We are trying to find her. Have you seen her?" Kiyone asked holding up Sasami's hand-drawn drawing of Ryo-ohki. 

"Sorry lady, I haven't seen any bunnies around here. In fact, I haven't seen any bunnies period since last Easter." 

"She's not..... oh, never mind," Kiyone said dejectedly. Why they hadn't thought to carry any actual photos of Ryo-ohki with them, she did not know. 

"Kiyone! You'll never guess what I've found!" 

"Did you locate Ryo-Ohki's trail?" Kiyone asked semi-hopefully. 

"No, but I found the complete run of Moldiver on video! Isn't that cool!" 

"MIHOSHI!!!! Will you *please* concentrate on the matter at hand! With our ship parked near Jupiter's moons, we need Ryo-ohki to get out of here! Do you want to be trapped here?" 

"I don't know, it's sort of nice here in America. They even have Japanese take out." 

"MIHOSHI!!!!" _Why can't she ever grow up! Agh! This is so frustrating! We're looking for one of the most wanted pirate space ships in the universe! But we can't tell anyone that because, Ryo-Ohki is one of the sweetest fuzzballs this side of the Kyruinim Galaxy. Geez! It's no wonder I can't get a promotion! I'm not emotionally impartial any more! Agh!_

***************************************************************************** 

"Well?" Selina inquired with trepidation. 

J'onn smiled. "She's perfectly harmless," he responded as he allowed Ryo-ohki to swing back and forth on his arm. 

"See I told you!" Selina spat out at Batman. 

"That's not why we came here, and you know that," Batman turned towards J'onn. "Her family?" 

"Are frantic with worry. I even know where some of them are." 

"So quickly?" 

"Yes, and all it took was one quick little telepathic conversation." 

"Oh," Selina commented broken heartedly. "Well I guess, pumpkin, you'll be going home now," she whispered to little Ryo-ohki. "I'm gonna miss you." 

"Miyaa," Ryo-ohki commented in commiseration. 

***************************************************************************** 

Nightwing, Barbara, and Sasami returned to where Washu was sitting recalibrating Barbara's computer system. 

"Washu! You shouldn't be touching that! C'mon honey, it's time for dinner." Barbara said. 

"But, I've almost got it calibrated. There! Now we'll be able to get a fix on Ryo-Ohki!" 

"Really!" a thrilled Sasami exclaimed. 

"Uh, girls," Dick started. 

"Don't worry, I improved upon the archaic design. It'll be better than ever!" 

"But..." Barbara added. 

"It's working! According to this thing, Ryo-ohki is....... right outside that front door?!?" Washu exclaimed. 

"That's what we were trying to tell you. A friend of a friend found her," Dick interrupted. 

"Ryo-ohki!" Sasami cried out with glee. She ran to door, and pulled it open. The cabbit on the other side gleefully meowed, and leapt into her waiting arms. "You're all right!" Sasami giggled happily, as Ryo-Ohki licked her cheek. 

*************************************************************************** 

"You really love her, don't you?" Selina asked the young man before her. 

"Yes, ma'am. She's part of our family," Tenchi answered as he cradled a sleeping Ryo-Ohki in his arms. 

A perturbed Ryoko grabbed Selina's arm and forced her away from Tenchi. "Listen, lady. Tenchi is mine! Don't even think......" 

"Ryoko! Tenchi is mine, take that back!" Ayeka yelled. She firmly held her ground against the enraged Ryoko. 

"Are they nuts?" Selina asked. 

"Completely, and totally," Kiyone nodded. 

"Thank you for taking such good care of her, Miss...." 

"Selina, you may call me Selina." 

"Thank you, Selina. I was so worried about her. She's my best friend in the whole universe," Sasami said. Gratitude clearly reflected in her eyes. "If there is any way I can repay you?" 

"Honey, what I want, you can't give me," Selina paused, her eyes focused on the sleeping cabbit. "Just take care of her, okay. That's all I want." 

"Thank you, again," Sasami said giving her a fierce hug. 

*************************************************************************** 

"The 'young' woman over there fighting with Sasami's sister, is my daughter Ryoko." 

"Uh, but..... uh..." Dick stammered. 

"How?" Barbara gasped. "I mean, uh..... how old were you when you had her? If you don't mind me asking?" 

"Um, let's see, she's about 2,000, so that would make me..... about 20,000 years old. Yeah, that's right! I look awfully young for my age, don't I?" 

"Washu, I thought you were *married* 20,000 years ago?" Ayeka asked. 

"Oh come on now, Ayeka! Every woman shaves a few thousand years off her age. Don't you agree, Barbara?" 

"Uh, well....." 

"See! She agrees with me! Come on, Ayeka. It's time to get going, my lab is probably getting lonesome for me." 

"Why do I find that easy to believe?" Ayeka deadpanned. 

*************************************************************************** 

"Look, Ryo-ohki," Ryoko started. 

Ryo-ohki looked away in disdain. 

"I know you're mad at me. And I know I deserve it, but I really didn't mean to hurt you. You're one of the most important beings in my life. You're my oldest friend and compatriot. If I lost you, I wouldn't know what to do. I know I don't say it often, but I..... I love you. Can you possibly forgive me?" 

"She means it Ryo-Ohki. She was really worried about you. You were the only thing she was focused on when we were searching for you," Ayeka said. 

"Miyaa?" Ryo-Ohki inquired. Coming from Ayeka that was quite a testament. 

"Yes." 

"So do you forgive me?" 

"Miyaa!" Ryo-Ohki exclaimed jumping into Ryoko's arms. 

"Aw, I love a happy ending," Mihoshi commented softly wiping a tear away 

"For once, we agree on something," Kiyone nodded. C'mon crew, let's get a move on." 

**Disclaimer: **_All Tenchi characters are the property of their respective creators. All DCU characters are the property of DC Comics. This little fan fiction is meant as pure harmless fun, and as such, no profit is being made from it._


End file.
